Compiled By NAN Lifestyle Editor
News Americas, NEW YORK, NY, Weds. Dec. 30, 2015: Five Latin American-born celebrities were among the highest paid in the world this year.
Here are the top 5 according to Forbes rankings:
1: Lionel Messi: This Argentine-born soccer star has a net worth of US$ 74 million, making him the 13th highest paid celeb. across the globe and the number one in the Americas. The 28-year-old earns some US$52 million in salary and another US$22 million in endorsements. He holds records for most goals in Barca competitions, most goals in La Liga competitions, most goals scored in a calendar year and most hat tricks scored.
Gisele Bundchen. (Photo by John Tlumacki/The Boston Globe via Getty Images)
2: Gisele Bündchen: The Brazilian supermodel is one of the highest-paid model in fashion and has a net worth of US $44 million, making her the second highest paid Latin American celebrity and the 46th highest paid worldwide.
3: Neymar: Brazilian soccer star Neymar earns some US$31 million, making him the 82nd highest paid celebrity globally and the third top earner in the Americas. The 23-year-old earns a lot from sponsorships that came on the heels of the World Cup held in his homeland including commercials for Nike and Beats By Dre.
4: James Rodriguez: This Colombian soccer star’s Golden Boot award on the heels of the 2014 World Cup has given him a real bump un earnings. The 24-year-old has at a net worth of US$29 million, making him the 89th highest paid celebrity in the world and the fourth highest paid from the Americas.
5: Sofía Vergara: This 43-year-old Colombian native shares the title of highest-earning actress on television thanks to a hefty per episode pay on “Modern Family,” plus several lucrative endorsement deals. Off-camera, she’s been building a business empire: she co-founded talent management and entertainment-marketing firm Latin World Entertainment in the 90s, years before American viewers were introduced to Gloria Delgado-Pritchett on ‘Modern Family.’ Her net worth is now put at US$28.5 million, making her the 95th highest paid celebrity in the world
and the fifth highest paid from the Americas.